RE-INTRODUCTION and LUNAR LOVIN'

Monday, January 28, 2013

Two easy blogfests today.

Second (cuz I saw it second even though I'm posting it first) is Mina Lobo's (Some Dark Romantic) Lunar Lovin' blog hop.  Easy-peasy; in the early am on Jan 27, take a picture of the moon and post it on your blog on Jan 28. Then hop around and see other pictures of the moon.

I only have a cell phone, and its not a very good camera. The pic on the left is from the phone; the one on the right is a close enough version of what the moon over my back yard looked like. (photo credit here) The moon was full, and fuzzy, obscured by a blanket of soft white clouds that covered even the stars. The bright dots on the right are street lights. (sorry, I don't have any cropping programs, and if I do, I haven't found it yet). Werewolves might wish for a brighter showing, but vampires would probably like it.

Firstly we have the Re-introduce Myself blogfest, hosted by Stephen Tremp (Breakthrough Blogs), Aloha! Mark Koopmans, Elise Fallson, and CM Brown. Some of us bloggers have been around a while - I've been blogging about 4 years - while others are just joining our community.  I don't think I made an introductory post when I first started, but if I did, it would be drastically outdated and boring since I really didn't know what I hoped to accomplish with a blog. I have a much better understanding of myself as a writer now.

So, for all my old friends, and new friends, and for those who may occasionally drop by . .

Hello, my name really is Donna Hole. I write adult fiction. My first and only completed novel trilogy started out as a romance, until I learned it followed none of the romance criteria. Now its a gritty, sexually explicit women's fiction/family drama that may never leave the revision locker. Furthering my education into romantic (as opposed to romance) writing, I also co-host the blog site Romantic Friday Writers with the awesome romance author/blogger L'Aussie Denise.

My writing focus has been on short stories the last couple years. I have three published stories in separate anthologies, and two more accepted for publication sometime this year.  I like reading and writing in erotica, fantasy, paranormal, thriller and sci-fi. Occasionally I create main characters who are young adults, but I am not a YA writer by any stretch. Nor am I a poet.

If you've been around here a while, or if you stick around, you'll notice I'm fond of very big, complicated words and phrases. I've frequently been accused of "elevated language" in my stories. One of the toughest tasks for my crit partners is to keep my writing voice from sounding clinical. I have a Bachelors in social work, Associate degrees in liberal science, behavioral science, and alcohol and drug studies; and hold certificates in domestic violence and rape crisis counseling, and substance abuse intervention. I currently work as an Employment and Eligibility Specialist in a small county in Northern California.

All this is to say I'm attracted to relationships and unique personalities. I'm a character driven author, writing by the seat of my pants with little plotting or outlining. As a reader, well written characters and vividly drawn settings/cultures will capture my attention despite a lag in story plot. For a while anyways.

You'll notice I don't have a posting schedule or a "platform" for my blog. I am habitually late, a devout procrastinator in all aspects of my writing and day life, and adhering to a dedicated routine has never been my style. I post on whatever topic piques my interest; however a majority of posts are either blogfest/blog hop related, book reviews and author interviews, or invited guests. As a blogger, I'm especially interested in helping authors promote their publications, find places to either submit their writing or have their drafts critiqued, or make connections with other bloggers.

If you browse around my sidebars you'll note the left column is all about me; my profile, inspiration, publications, works in progress, and blog archive. The right side is upcoming community events, writing/blogging resources, and some blogs that I try to read every day. When you have a few moments to spare, I hope you find something useful or interesting.

When we meet in person: if its morning bring Diet Pepsi not coffee; if its snack time bring chips, no chocolate; and in the evenings bring wine instead of beer.

Thanks for reading my entries to the Lunar Lovin and Re-introduce myself blog hops.

Shameless Plug: If you're looking for a fun writing prompt, Romantic Friday Writers' February challenge is a fan fiction concept involving your favorite lovers. Check out the RFW introduction post or the Challenges page for further details.